


Crossing the lines, breaking the rules; seize all the power, and know how it's used

by alchemicalTyphoon



Series: Bound Souls [2]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Porn, Angst and Tragedy, Bath Sex, Creampie, Devil Asra (The Arcana), Dubious Consent Due To Perception Issues, Heavy Angst, Mind Manipulation, Nonbinary Apprentice (The Arcana), Nonbinary Character, Other, Painful Sex, Rough Sex, Sex Magic, Wall Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:29:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemicalTyphoon/pseuds/alchemicalTyphoon
Summary: After losing his apprentice for the second time, Asra sets off to rescue their soul from the Devil. But the only way he can do that, would be to turn into the very thing he's saving them from...Sequel to "Cross my heart and twice I'll die; can't follow me, don't even try".
Relationships: Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana)
Series: Bound Souls [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1613980
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	Crossing the lines, breaking the rules; seize all the power, and know how it's used

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vesuviannights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vesuviannights/gifts).



> Asra angst? Asra angst! I don't know what else you expected from me ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯? 
> 
> It's not entirely necessary, but I recommend reading [Cross my heart and twice I'll die; can't follow me, don't even try](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21790819) first. 
> 
> Warning: There's some dubious consent going on because of perception issues and missing memories for the apprentice, just so you can click back if that's not your thing.

With their head between their knees, they panted. The sun was beating on the back of their neck, threatening a sunburn they knew wouldn't ever happen if Asra had any say in it. They could still feel the protection spell he'd placed there with his finger tips, and had sealed with a brush of his lips this morning.

Feeling their lungs finally ceasing to burn from their rooftop run, they straightened up and started stretching their muscles in preparation for the run back. They swept their eyes across the horizon, from the nearly invisible dot that was the shop they'd started from, into the direction they'd been running. Vesuvia seemed to stretch on forever, an endless expanse of rooftops to run over. And one day, they decided, they'd be fast enough to reach the outer walls, and maybe walk through the gates, out of Vesuvia...

A sharp pain radiated from the site of Asra's protection spell. Their hands shot up, covering it. They rubbed it until it stopped hurting, feeling a little dazed in the process. Shaking their head, and placing their hands against their cheeks with a loud slap, they looked around, wondering what they'd been thinking of. They didn't dwell on it for long, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with a longing, no, _craving_ , for Asra's touch all over their skin. Luckily, they hadn't gone too far. They could practically read the sign of the shop they were running with Asra from where they were standing. Why, they just needed to drop from this roof and cross the street to reach Asra!

Whistling and humming a few notes of some forgotten lullaby, they dropped down to street level. The faceless crowd parted before them, creating a clear path to the shop, to Asra.

He was everything they really wanted.

\----

The bells chimed. "Asra!" He turned around, and saw them making a beeline for him. Smiling, he hugged them back, curling his long tail behind their back, and kissing the top of their sweaty head. They laughed and pulled a face. "Eww! Gross!", they giggled. Asra chuckled, but made no move to let them go, content to hang onto them despite their current, ripe state. "I love everything about you, sweat and all", he hummed, causing another round of giggling. "But... Why don't you freshen up? I'll join you in a bit." He nudged them to the washroom with his tail. They pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before skipping off.

Asra turned to his customers. "Leave us." They dissipated to nothingness with a flick of his tail as he turned to follow his beloved, eager to spend more time with them.

He caught them cursing at their shirt buttons. "Damnit! Tiny, torture bullshit! Who invented these? Why are you-! Fucking-! Stupid-!" Shaking his head with amusement, he watched them fight for a little bit longer before he scraped his throat. "Hmm, bad words." They looked up from their battle, and shuffled sheepishly towards his already outstretched hands. "You know there are shirts without buttons, right?", he said, slowly undoing their buttons one at a time, making sure to linger just a little longer when he ' _accidentally_ ' brushed against their skin. Their breathing quickened just a tiny bit with each consecutive touch, until it was almost like they just ended a run. They huffed. "But I like these..." His eyes stayed on the task before him. "Oh? Why is that?" He undid the last one, hands skimming over the fabric to reach for the collar, and looked at them. A flush bloomed delicately across their features as they cast their eyes downwards and remained silent. Asra tutted, using minimal movement to let the shirt slide off their shoulders and pool on the bathroom floor. With the tip of his tail, he lightly stroked them under their chin. Goosebumps spread over their exposed skin, and they shuddered, but it was clear the cold was not the cause. He lifted their head, but they didn't meet his eyes. "Well?", he grinned slowly, waiting for them to answer. They worried their bottom lip, but made no move to speak. His grin widened, and he leaned fully into their personal space, smelling the blossoming sweet scent of their arousal.

"Hmm... No answer?" He lowered his head, placing his mouth on top of the artery in their neck. Closing his lips around the spot, he touched the skin with his tongue, sucking on them gently. Their pulse quickened, and with every slow act of sucking and licking that particular spot, the taste of arousal on their skin became stronger. And it certainly had an effect on his cock.

Asra's hands undid the laces of their pants at a sedate pace, letting it rustle to the floor. His own clothes, he vanished with a gesture of his hand. Still latched to their neck, he walked them backwards, until they hit the wall. He took one more step, nudging his cock between their legs and using it to semi-pin them in place. They pressed their legs together, making him groan in their neck. "I want...", they whispered. There was a note of neediness, for him. He rolled his hips a few times, feeling their arousal wet and coat his cock. His mouth licked and kissed its way up their neck as they extended it and bared it for him in submission.

"All?", he asked softly. They hummed and nodded in agreement, ready to spread their legs eagerly for him. "Soft? Rough?" He used his tail to hold the tip his length near their entrance, rubbing it slowly against it. The squelching noises that made were loud in the quiet little room, echoing against the tiled walls. "I need you, Asra. Use me. Make me feel you. Make me never forget you. Make me yours, Asra. Please... Make me _yours..._ ", they moaned quietly, biting their bottom lip, and looking up at him from beneath their half-lidded eyes, practically begging him. His eyes squinted in satisfaction as his smile widened. "That can _certainly_ be arranged..."

He lifted them with ease, slowly lowering them on his cock, making it bigger than he knew they could hold comfortably. "Eyes on me, my sweet little hummingbird..." Ignoring their cries of discomfort at first, and then pain, he kept pushing himself inside them, keeping an iron grip on their hips, their feet dangling useless off the floor so they couldn't move away. He only paused when they closed their eyes, but relentlessly continued again once they'd adjusted enough to look at him again. Slowly, he buried himself all the way inside them, accompanied by their sweet cries of pain, and the nearly fully bloomed scent of their arousal, mixed with a hint of blood. He gave them a little respite, letting them get used to the feeling of him inside them. They whimpered and clenched around his cock when he bend down to trail open-mouthed kisses up and down their exposed neck. "Make you feel me...", he hummed, languidly drawing back to the sound of a disappointed whimper at the loss of him. "Miss my cock already, sweetheart? Aaah... That won't do..." He waited just long enough for them to exhale, before swiftly thrusting into them. They whimpered in pain, their body struggling to accept all of him, gripping and stopping him when he was about two-thirds in. "Strange... I thought you wanted 'all'?", he said, as he forced himself in. "Asra..." They repeated his name in a dazed whisper, almost prayer-like in its cadence, as they kept eye contact with him as instructed. Whatever he did, whatever pace he set, they never complained, taking and re-taking his cock, even when it was clearly painful to do so. At most they grimaced and whimpered, closing their eyes and enduring.

Ah... It dawned on Asra something must have happened for them to be so obedient despite his rough treatment. And there was really only one thing they could do to explain this behaviour. "Did you try to reach the outer walls again, my sweet little bird?", he murmured in their ear, a hint of his displeasure apparent. They whimpered, trying to disappear into the wall, even as they bared their throat for him. "Aaah..." He felt them desperately trying to appease him by the erratic tightening of their hold on him. "Hummingbird, are you not happy here?", he asked, lightly kissing up and down the side of their exposed throat. There was a quiet sob and a slow shake of their head. He hummed against their skin, inhaling the intoxicating scent of their fear. "Are you perhaps unhappy with me? Am I neglecting you? If you wanted my attention, you need only ask. You know I'd gladly lavish you with _all_ the attention you crave..." They trembled, a little excited at his words despite their fear. He chuckled. "Perhaps you want two of me? Or maybe three? One for each hole?... Or maybe... more?" They were so thoroughly excited and aroused by this prospect, Asra made a mental note to give it a spin later. After all, happy little birds don't try to leave their cage. But, he still hadn't gotten an answer to their misbehaviour.

He slowed down his pace, easing them out of the pain and into building pleasure. They slowly relaxed themself, making it easier for him to pump in and out of them smoothly. His cock fit them quite snugly, and their heat felt so, so good. Asra let himself enjoy this carnal act, but he was a little disappointed with how quiet they were. He wanted, no, _needed_ to hear their pleasure-addled voice.

His tail rose up, slithering along the side of their body to their surprised little gasp. He teased their nipples by caressing them until they couldn't get harder. It made them breathe harder, but nothing more. He slid it down, between their legs, just above where they were joined together. There was the start of something, but they bit hard on their lip and the sound abruptly ceased.

Asra became irked by their behaviour, and pulled out of them. There was a flash of fear in their eyes as they scrambled to cover themself, but he swatted their hands away with the flat of his tail. Before he could address their behaviour, they were already talking.

"AsraI'msorryI'msorryI'msosorryIdidn'tmeanto-" He cut them off with a gentle kiss, slipping his tongue in. They meekly let him lay claim on them, waiting patiently for him. He broke away from their soft lips, nibbling along their jawline towards their ear. "What's on your pretty mind, hummingbird, hmm?" He asked quietly. "Tell me what's bothering you so much, you'll let me hurt you without a fuss. You know I would only ever hurt you because you wanted me to, right?" They slowly reached to embrace him. Their adorable hesitancy made him smile. "Go on", he smiled, his face buried in their neck. After they had their arms around him, they spoke, their voice small.

"... I just wanted to know how fast I was... That's why I tried to reach the outer walls...I didn't mean anything bad with it. I'm sorry, Asra. I won't do it again." He smiled. "Now, was that really so hard?" They shook their head. "I would never hurt you because you were curious about something." He nudged them to expose their throat again, latching on the skin and dotting it with fluttering kisses. "Now, let me hear your pretty little voice. Sing something for me..." He used his tail to align himself with their entrance once more, and slowly had them wrap around him again. Their opening note was a shuddering exhale of his name. When he plunged into them again, they sighed a high pitched moan that turned lower the deeper his cock went inside them. He wrapped their legs around him, freeing up his hands, sliding them closer to where the two of them where joined, and using the slickness of their arousal, drew circles around their clit with his thumbs. He played their body like an exquisitely crafted instrument, making his name claim the very air they exhaled, letting him know how good his large cock felt filling them to stretching.

Loudly.

He had them come with his cock deep inside them, just so he could add his own voice to theirs as he made sure to spill as much of himself as they could hold. He pulled out slowly so his seed stayed inside them. To make them his.

With his help, they carefully got back on their own feet. Even as they tried to get their breath back while standing on shaking legs, Asra felt his cock was ready for more. He ignored it in favour of helping them to the bath, settling them into the water. They sat down gratefully, and turned around to face him, tugging at his hand. His quiet laugh echoed in the small space as he too entered the water.

Once he'd sat himself down behind them, he pulled them on his lap, feeling them relax. With careful attention, he washed the day off their skin, feeling their heartbeat slow down, feeling them slowly relax fully against him into a limp, ragdoll state. They mumbled something too slurred for him to catch, but it sounded happy. He pressed a kiss on the top of their head, pulling them closer to his chest. With his other hand, he brushed the strands of wet hair away from the nape of their neck, and placed his mouth against their skin, feeling the inaudible sigh his action provoked. "I could just eat you up, you know", he hummed, resting his forehead against the back of their head. Their answering hum sounded terribly sleepy which didn't surprise him; they'd been running for hours on end before they were finally pulled back. 

Even though they were clearly exhausted, Asra wanted them thoroughly exhausted for what he had to do. He leaned back, pulling them along, and letting them rest against his chest. His legs worked their way between theirs, to prevent them from sinking further into the water... and so he could more easily touch them. He looked down, the milky, fragrant water clouding the view from below their nipples. His hands roamed up their sides, causing an appreciative sigh. He brushed his hands over their nipples, making whimper a little, before sliding them over their stomach, and down to their groin. His fingers easily found their clit, and he rubbed it gently, causing a hitch in their breath. Their legs tried to close together, but he used his other hand to stop them. "Sssh..." He caressed the inner sides of their thighs, relaxing them. Asra waited until they stopped squirming, before drawing his knees up to spread their legs wide. He started playing with them again, using both his hands this time. "Give me an encore, sweetheart."

They gave him a quieter, sleepier song this time. Their small movements as he coaxed them to a climax did not leave him unaffected, and before long, he couldn't resist lifting them up a little, so he could sink them back on his enlarged, and painfully hard cock again. He denied them a finish for a time, just so he could enjoy their cute, little noise of pleasure while he slowly thrust up and into them. For some time, the only sounds in the quiet bathroom were their breathing, interspersed with quiet moans of pleasure. Sometimes, he added his own voice, especially when they'd clench around him without notice. Eventually, even he couldn't stop them, their finishing note sending chills down his spine by how absolutely fulfilled and satisfied it had sounded. They draped over his chest, exhausted, and with a blissful little smile on their lips. As he kept one hand to play with them, he used the other to guide their hand on top of their stomach, to let him feel how much of him they were accepting. "... oh..." The water surface stirred as they put their other hand along the path his cock took. "... Ah...! You're so big..." He managed to entice one final note out of them. "... Ah... Asra... I love you..." It wasn't long after their words that he too came. They were too full with his cock and his first spill, and Asra fucked his come slowly out of them, letting it mix with the bathwater. The two of them lay there together, enjoying their quiet, post-climax moment, until eventually, Asra stired as he felt them lose their battle to sleep.

"Looks like I've tired you out. Let's get you back in your nest, my little hummingbird", he murmured into their neck. Asra lifted them in a bridal carry, and stepped out of the water, directly into their bedroom. He made sure to wick all the water off their skin, and using magic to ensure the sheets were already exactly the right temperature to avoid waking them up, he laid them in the bed, on their stomach. Their hair was still damp, but he combed and stroked his hands through it a few times until it was dry, soft, and silky. He let the strands slip through his fingers, before he sat himself beside their slumbering form, and bend over them to kiss their hair. A small, rueful smile formed on his lips as he sighed against their beautiful strands of hair. "As loathe as I am to do this, little bird, I need to clip your wings again... I won't risk having you escape me a third time..." He felt an odd lump in his throat. "... It would simply be the death of me..."

Asra rose, brushing their hair aside, exposing their back and neck. He yawned and stretched, shaking off the glamour he used to appear more human. When he opened his eyes again, he could clearly see the intricately woven tapestry of chains he'd layered on their soul, to bind them to him. He poked and prodded, surveying the damage, cataloguing what needed to be done before it all unravelled and fell apart. Some chains had links broken off, which he replaced and reinforced. Others had simply disappeared, which meant applying new chains. In his hands, thin, delicate chains slowly formed, coiling and writhing between his fingers. He stared at them, swallowing away another odd lump that settled in his throat. "... I _have_ to do this. I _can't_ let you go...", he whispered, to no one in particular. With a soft touch, he weighed them down, adding a few more chains for good measure.

He toiled a long time, adding more and more bindings, until he couldn't bring himself to add more weight on their already bogged down soul. Asra knew it would only be a matter of time before the magic in his realm would seep into their soul completely and they'd shake off all the chains, bindings, and veils he'd placed on them. He had no idea what would happen then, whether they'd forgive him for what he'd done and stay with him, or whether they'd be disgusted at having been kept like a clipped bird in a dark, gilded cage for the last hundreds of years.

A deck of old, worn cards appeared in his hand. They were silent; none of the cards spoke to him anymore. He shuffled them, drawing a card and suspending them in the air in front of him. Each card he drew came up blank, showing only a background. The second last card, the Fool, showed a small orb of light, tinged a slight blue. His eyes went to the chained form on the bed. Asra sighed, recalling how he'd cried with relief when he held the delicate, blue-tinged orb, _their_ beautiful soul between his newly formed claws, knowing nobody could hurt them anymore. He remembered how horrified he'd been when he glimpsed at what the Devil had done to torture them, and how he hadn't hesitated to remove every single memory related to the tortures from their mind. After he gave them a form, their kindness dictated them to fight against him, to undo what he'd done to himself, to _save_ him. It had been with some regret he'd replaced some of their memories so they'd stop resisting him, and accept his realm as their new home. And over the decades, he had to bind, blind, and break more and more of what made them, _them_. But in all honesty, Asra knew he wouldn't do anything different. Them being happy and where he could protect them was worth the price of becoming the Devil himself, and shaping them to fit this world.

The last card he drew was the only other not empty, showing him the Devil on the day he'd been slain, smirking. It was almost as if he was mocking him, mocking his decision to live in this illusion he'd created for them. He clenched his jaws, and finally burned the stack of cards. It wasn't like he had any use for them anymore.

Taking a deep breath, he put the human glamour up once more, turning the environment back to the magic shop he'd once found his home in. He felt his realm become 'Vesuvia' again, making it stretch endlessly every way possible, so they could climb, run, and leap forever to their heart's content. The faceless crowds slowly shuffled through the streets, lending power to this facsimile of a city. He readied a sun to go up high later, so they'd always be warm wherever they'd go in his realm.

In the dark of this fake night, Asra laid down beside them, holding still as they reached for him in their sleep. He pulled them closer to him, draping their form over him. Their hand landed in his, and he couldn't help bringing it up, brushing his lips along the knuckles, and pressing the back of their hand against his cheek. And then he simply waited for them to wake up.

So he could discover what he'd taken from them this time.

So he knew what it was he had broken this time to keep them from running away. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm always happy to hear what y'all have to say, so don't hesitate to yell at/with me ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ! And who knows, something you say might set off an avalanche of new ideas for me to write haha 🤭.


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